


Finding Warmth

by dreamoutloud



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Awkwardness, Band Fic, Bisexual Male Character, Bisexuality, College, Complicated Relationships, Drinking, Drug Use, Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Explicit Language, Falling In Love, Flirting, Fluff, Friendship, Harry in Denial, Larry Stylinson Is Real, Lies, Louis Tomlinson in Denial, Love/Hate, M/M, Male Friendship, Mind Games, Music, Party, Passion, Recreational Drug Use, Relationship Problems, Romance, Sexual Confusion, Slow Romance, Smoking, Tattoos, Touching
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-19
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:07:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25994200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamoutloud/pseuds/dreamoutloud
Summary: A band of four boys known as The Rouge introduce a fifth member, Harry Styles. He fits quite well into the mix and happens to catch the leader of the band, Louis Tomlinson's attention. But Louis is unsure of what to think of the boy.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Kudos: 6





	1. Meeting

Louis crossed his legs, sitting on the pavement. His one hand fidgeted with a loose string on his shirt while the other held on to a cigarette. He scanned the area around him, waiting for something to catch his eye, to lead him into an adventure. Louis always tried to have a wandering eye, always living in a fantasy world where he could run off into the woods and befriend strangers who danced in the moonlight. He let the smoke cloud his vision to stop himself from daydreaming.

"Louis are you coming, he's going to be here soon," his band mate Zayn called out. Louis let out a small sigh as he crushed the end of his cigarette into the grass, watching the small embers darken the earth.

"Whats his name again?" Louis asked as he walked up to Zayn. "I think its Harry."

"His last name is styles, I feel like that has a ring to it, like a famous persons name. Like you think of celebrities name and their names are very fitting and sound well together, wouldn't you agree?" the other band mate Liam rambled on. Louis just nodded, unsure of what his friend was trying to say.

A few moments later there was a knock on the garage door and outside stood a tattooed covered boy. Louis eyed him up and down, trying his best not to let any emotion appear on his face.

"Um hello, I'm Harry," he introduced himself awkwardly.

"Well come in! I'm Liam, this is Niall, Zayn and Louis."

"Nice to meet you guys." Harry shook their hands, looking each boy directly in their eyes. Louis held on to his gaze, determined to make the boy feel intimidated.

"So how does this work? Like are we going to sing a little like do a test run? I should probably tell you guys I don't play any instruments I mean I'm learning the guitar but other than that..." Harry trailed off trying to read the boys faces.

"No worries about the instrument thing we've got it covered. Zayn's on drums, Niall's on guitar. And we all sing, so were just going to sing a few and see how we all sound."

"Alright sounds cool. Its a sweet set up you guys have. Have there been a lot of people trying to judge you."

"Well we had this one fellow who wanted to sing with us but he had a thick southern accent. Like those ones you hear in america where they pronounce tomato as termater. I have no idea why the hell the man was here in London when he should belong on a farm," Niall answered chuckling. "But other than that no ones really I guess you say auditioned. I mean we just do this for fun, don't expect anything big"

"Got it," Harry said.

Minutes roll by and the group of boys argue which song they should have Harry test out first. Zayn and Liam bicker while Niall fires away questions at Harry. Louis watches the interaction. He's half expecting for Harry to grow annoyed at Niall's pointless question or leave with the way Zayn and Liam are arguing with each other. But he doesn't. Instead he sits there resting his elbows on his legs looking at Niall the same way a child looks at a parent.

"Okay since you guys clearly can't come to a decision lets just go with I Want because if I have to keep listening to you two bicker I'm going to rip my ears off," Louis cuts them off and grabs his mic. The rest of the boys follow his lead, Zayn mutters under his breath. Harry sits there, looking at Louis to provide him with instructions. "Harry you can share Liam's mic." Louis tone is slightly sharp.

As they sing, Louis steals a few glances at Harry, watching the way his fingers curl of the mic, almost swallowing it whole. He can't help but feel a slight twinge of jealousy as he becomes fixated on the boy's features and his voice. The only way Louis could describe Harry's voice was that it sounded like velvet. It was rigid and coarse but soft. It's like if you said the word velvet and focused on how the tongue slides smoothly over the L and then just melts. Once the song is over Louis peels his eyes away and goes back to being silent.

"I think this goes without saying but you can definitely be in the band. You've got talent, hell I'm surprised you don't want a solo career," Liam teased. Harry's cheek turned pinkish at the sound of the compliment.

"I'm really just looking to have some fun, I've always wanted to sing with a group of people." Harry admitted.

"Well we try to have a gig at least once every two weeks even if its something small. We honestly don't practice much, everything is lenient. The gigs pay pretty well and we always split it. Louis and Zayn live here and Niall and I have a place about 5 minutes from here so were all really close. But that's about all you really need to know."

"Wow so you guys are pretty much all close friends," Harry points out as he shuffled his feet.

"Yeah we've known each other since preschool days, diapers and everything" Niall said.

"Well I hope I don't feel like a fifth wheel," Harry joked. Louis rolled his eyes while the rest of the boys let out a laugh.

He couldn't quite put his tongue on it, but watching and listening to Harry made his skin crawl. As if there were bugs trying to burrow in his skin and latch onto him forever. He has always been aware when it has come to the people closest to him and his music he always felt territorial. But in a way, as much as Louis wanted to come off as intimidating and the leader of the pack, he could sense that Harry could be the one to take over. There was an intense glare in the boys eyes and even though he held himself up as if he was lanky boy, confidence still radiated off his body, like Harry was fully aware of his own affect. Louis couldn't help but think all of this was some ploy, to come in as an awkward boy trying to make friends but in reality wanting to stir something up. A game. But he pushed the conspiracy theory out of his head knowing he sounded absolutely ridiculous and had already let the jealousy seep too deep in his brain.

He extended his hand to Harry, mumbling out a goodbye while keeping his eyes on the floor. His hand in comparison to Harry's looked small. Delicate against his skin. He wondered if Harry noticed this.


	2. Leeroy's Diner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2nd update in one week! My goal is to try and update at least twice a week but with school it's most likely to be one. Also I picture Cora as Vanessa Morgan (obviously a few years younger than her actual age). Hope you guys enjoy. 3rd chapter is currently being written :) And ignore the note on the bottom for some reason that was the note on chapter 1 and somehow it has moved to this one.

Harry pulled his hand away from Louis, feeling a slight tingle in his hand. He decided to let his green eyes peek at the blue eyes which seemed to stay focused on the floor. He wondered if Louis didn't feel comfortable around him as he was quieter than the other boys. Before, when they were performing, Harry could feel Louis's eyes on him with cold intent. He was unsure how to feel but he knew there was an uneasiness sitting in his stomach. Harry walked out of the garage and kept his head straight, determined not to look back as he was slightly afraid to. 

As Harry got into his run-down car, he pulled out his phone and dialed his girlfriends number. The phone buzzed before he heard her sweet voice say hello.

"Hi babe, I just got done with practice, do you want to meet me for dinner, I figured we could grab something to eat since I'm not really in the mood to cook," he asked.

"Yeah yeah of course! Do you want to try this new diner place? It's called Leeroy's Diner, it shouldn't be too far."

"Sounds good, I'll see you there, love you."

"Love you too," she replied. 

A small smile formed on Harry's lips as he hung up. He googled the diner and it was only 2 minutes away from the band's place. Convenient. The short drive barely let his mind drift into a new place to process his thoughts. He pulled into the diners parking lot noticing how packed the place he was becoming. He swiftly got out of the car, slightly skipping as he secretly hoped to beat an older couple to the door. He zipped in and to his surprise, there was no wait. A host led him to a booth secluded in the corner. He plopped down giving a small smile to the host as he waited for his girlfriend to arrive. He pulled out his phone and decided to open Instagram. His fingers hovered over the search bar determining whether or not he wanted to give in to his curiosity. He typed in LouisTomlinson and only saw one account. Harry looked around, wondering if anyone was watching him. He clicked on the profile. 

There were only a few pictures and hardly any of Louis himself. There were pictures of guitars, coffee cups, and his band-mates. He found two pictures of Louis and clicked on one that was fairly recent. The photo focused on the boy's bright blue eyes and his slight smirk. He was wearing an oversize black sweatshirt that folded over his hands. He was posed, sitting with his legs crossed and his hands cupped his face. In the picture he almost looked childlike, cheerful, and playful. A side Harry did not experience today. The way Louis dressed in all dark and the way his lips barely moved when he talked made him seem that he was quiet and shy and at most times serious. Harry wondered if it was just for the photo or if maybe Louis's friends have been able to come across that side of him. Harry's long fingers continued to scroll. He decided to hit the tagged photo section. There he found many more images of Louis. Louis wrapped around Zayn's leg, a video of Louis screaming at the top of his lungs while playing a video game, a picture of Louis jokingly posing seductively, and tons of videos of Louis pulling pranks. Some made Harry chuckle. 

"What's so funny?" a voice interrupted him. Harry jumped, seeing his girlfriend hover over him. 

"N-nothing. Just some funny video. Christ, you scared me!" Harry gasped out, pretending to be over dramatic. He stood up placing a small kiss on her cheek. As he sat back down his phone was still open. His long fingers tried to get out of the tagged photos but as he clicked he accidentally turned a white heart red. Harry held his breath. The picture was on Zayn's account. He immediately unliked the photo and turned the phone off, trying to hide the sound of his beating heart.

A common mistake. 

"So spill, how was the band," his girlfriend asked. 

"They seem cool, very laid back. I don't think they care about being big or anything just more of a side thing," he answered.

"Well what are their names? I need details here!" 

"There's Liam, Niall, Zayn, and um this boy named Louis. He really didn't talk too much. The others were a bit friendlier," Harry admitted as he played his napkin. 

"Oh I'm sure he'll come around, it's you. What's not to like?" she reassured. They continued discussing the band as they waited for their food to arrive. Harry began looking around the diner studying the many faces that appeared in front of him. He takes a quick look at the people entering, his eyes catching someone he had just been with. Louis.

"He's here," Harry mumbled.

"Who's here?" His girlfriend spun around trying to follow Harry's eyes.

"Don't make it so obvious! God, you're impossible." Harry whispered, gently grabbing her hand, bringing her focus back to him.

"Why are we whispering?"

"It's Louis, the guy I was telling you about who I get the feeling is not a huge fan of me."

"Well invite him over I want to meet him. Maybe I can warm him up!" Before Harry had a chance to say no, she stood up and began waving her hands calling out Louis' name. She managed to catch his attention quickly and before he knew it the boy was slowly walking up to them. 

"Um hello again," Harry said awkwardly.

"Hi."

"Hi! I'm Cora, Harry's girlfriend." she stuck out her hand which was covered in beaded bracelets. Louis shook it hesitantly. He studied her. She had long brown braids intertwined with red and gold thread. Her eyes were a light shade of brown and surrounded by dark eyelashes. Her skin was covered in ink and she had layers of necklaces falling around her chest. All her features were dainty like as if she was supposed to be a fairy in another world. Louis found her beautiful. She seemed to be one of those people who actively sought out the good in the bad no matter the situation. The thought brought a small smile to his face.

"It's nice to meet you Cora. I'm Louis but you seem to know that," Louis said while letting out a laugh. 

"Would you care to join us?" Cora asked him. Louis looked over at Harry to see his reaction but his face was blank acting like he didn't care enough to hear Louis answers.

"I'm uh actually picking up food for the rest of the boys. It's not ready yet, so I guess I can wait if it isn't a bother."

"No, no not at all. Harry scoot over and let Louis sit." Cora said.

Harry shifted his weight over. He was unsure of how to feel. He felt odd. Shocked. Louis slid into the booth, careful to not let any part of his body make contact with Harry. He fidgeted uncomfortably in his seat, trying to figure out where to put his hands. Louis couldn't help but think in the back of his mind maybe this was a bad idea as he's already had more than one awkward interaction with Harry. 

"So Harry was just telling me about the boys in the band! What else do you do besides that?" Cora's voice filled the silent air.

"Besides being a student not much honestly. I had a job in the local grocery store but once the band picked up it was kinda hard to manage." Louis spoke softly, making direct eye contact with Cora, something he was unable to do with Harry earlier. 

"Well I'm glad the band is doing well. Do you have a girlfriend if you don't mind me asking?"

"Um it's complicated at the moment..." Louis's voice trailed off. 

"We've all been there I understand," Cora chuckled. "Don't you want to ask him anything Harry, you're being awfully quiet." 

Harry's cheeks began to turn pink, a feeling he often didn't experience. 

"Ah it's okay mate we just saw each other," Louis said but his eyes never left Cora's. 

Cora continued making small talk with Louis while Harry folded his hands over the table. He felt as if he was watching a TV show and Louis had become an oscar worthy actor. His tone was lighter, there were small crinkles by his eyes. His overall posture was more relaxed and his knee bobbled up and down. He looked more at ease with himself and his surroundings. More like the boy from the picture Harry had come across. Harry couldn't help but be slightly fascinated by him. 

"Well I think my food is ready so I best be off. Those boys tend to get a little rowdy if they aren't fed. It was lovely to meet you Cora. And I'll see you whenever Harry." To Harry's surprise, he watched Louis get up from the booth and extend his hand out to Harry like it was something they always do. Harry wrapped his fingers around Louis, noticing how petite Louis looked and felt in his hand. He squeezed his hand slightly, realizing he could probably crush Louis's hand in a matter of seconds. He was fragile. Louis released his fingers from Harry's but Harry hadn't let go. The interaction just seemed too short for his liking.

"Babe, let his hand go, you're being weird," Cora said. Louis noticed she said this with no change in her voice, making it seem like she was used to Harry doing strange things.

"Oh shit I'm sorry I just spaced out. And you're hands are really soft. Feel his hand's babe," Harry said a little too quickly, bringing Louis hands right in front of her face. Cora looked at Louis, trying to ask him with her eyes if it was okay. He nodded and her hand brushed over his.

"Yes, they're soft. Now let him get his food," Cora said to Harry as they both let go of Louis's hands. Louis let out a small chuckle giving the couple one last wave before getting his food and heading out of the restaurant. By the time he got his car he remembered he was supposed to be breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it has been a very long time since I even wrote a fanfic but during these times it feels like the perfect time to actually start again and actually finish one. Already have the 2nd chapter done and will be positing soon. :) please let me know how you feel about the story and any suggestions. Enjoy!


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